Reproduction | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/reproduction/RSS feed for ReproductionenSat, 09 May 2026 00:23:25 +0000Pregnancy Changes Mothers' Brains. These Recent Discoveries Are Showing Us Howhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/pregnancy-changes-mothers-brains-these-recent-discoveries-are-showing-us-how-180988713/“Baby brain” isn’t the deficit it’s stereotyped to be, research suggests. Neural adaptations during pregnancy can prime soon-to-be-moms to become more attuned to their children and enhance social cognitionSat, 09 May 2026 00:23:25 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/pregnancy-changes-mothers-brains-these-recent-discoveries-are-showing-us-how-180988713/Nearly Half of Italy's Wolves Are Part Dog Now, Thanks to Hybridization. Is That a Threat to the Species?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/nearly-half-of-italys-wolves-are-part-dog-now-thanks-to-hybridization-is-that-a-threat-to-the-species-180988682/Wolf-dog hybrids are growing far more common in Italy, raising scientists’ concerns for the future of the wolvesWed, 06 May 2026 11:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/nearly-half-of-italys-wolves-are-part-dog-now-thanks-to-hybridization-is-that-a-threat-to-the-species-180988682/Scientists Found 5.6 Million Burrowing Bees Beneath a Cemetery in New York. The Group Is One of the Largest on Recordhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-found-5-6-million-burrowing-bees-beneath-a-cemetery-in-new-york-the-group-is-one-of-the-largest-on-record-180988573/Researchers in Ithaca estimated the number of ground-nesting bees emerging from a local cemetery in spring 2023, revealing just how abundant some understudied pollinators areMon, 20 Apr 2026 19:12:39 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-found-5-6-million-burrowing-bees-beneath-a-cemetery-in-new-york-the-group-is-one-of-the-largest-on-record-180988573/Octopus Sex Just Got Weirder. In Addition to Depositing Sperm, Males' Specialized Mating Arm Can 'Taste' Female Hormoneshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/octopus-sex-just-got-weirder-in-addition-to-depositing-sperm-males-specialized-mating-arm-can-taste-female-hormones-180988500/The hectocotylus is both a reproductive organ and a sensory organ, a rare combination in animals, new research suggestsThu, 09 Apr 2026 18:38:26 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/octopus-sex-just-got-weirder-in-addition-to-depositing-sperm-males-specialized-mating-arm-can-taste-female-hormones-180988500/